Reviews

Awesome

Wow this drama had it all,

The general was totally hot and fight scenes were absolutely fantastic. Xiao was definitely amazing and it started with a forced marriage and a domineering proposal that left puzzled but kept me intrigued as well.

The deception and lies and then plot turnaround was really what kept us hooked. Jiayu was clever and kept her wit which was really cute. Mao was difficult to read, but j am totally glad he turned out to be a good guy.

The romance was slow but you could see the attraction through trust and loyalty.

Overall it's a good drama and a political or romance its a mystery that keeps unfolding and guessing. The pace is good and there was no unnecessary filler.

Leia Mais

✨''Gossip Girl'' and ''Revenge'' Had a Baby and Raised It on Wine✨

The title and poster are SUCH a misdirect, bro, because tell me why I expected this to be some kind of anthology where a bunch of mysterious cases pop up and the leads solve them. But NOOOO. Turns out this is basically what happens when Gossip Girl and ABC’s Revenge have an illegitimate child, throw it into a blender, add three glasses of wine, and then let the FL go full Count of Monte Cristo on everybody. I’m crying 😭

Honestly, I feel like this drama should be watched with a cocktail and a slim cigarette while cackling at the screen, because HELL, everybody is drinking wine in this anyway. Maybe the crew was drinking too, because the mess was MESSY, y’all. Everybody is shady, rotten, dramatic and deeply unserious. Even the characters themselves kept commenting on how dramatic everyone was.

Despite the limited budget (and oh, you could TELL), the director clearly had a vision. The aesthetics and styling weirdly reminded me of the kdramas It’s Okay to Not Be Okay and Hotel Del Luna, and the ML was giving extremely K-drama-coded visuals. I could be hallucinating, but those were absolutely the vibes I was getting.

I loved the FL, though. THIS is how revenge should be served. She came in with a mission and did not spend half the drama pretending to be morally superior about it. She wanted revenge, she got revenge, and she left that family looking like a natural disaster had personally beefed with them. I’m proud. 😭 I’m here for her because I loved her in LITC and wanted to see more of her.

That being said, her character unfortunately started going a little downhill around ep.16. She seemed to snap out of whatever the hell was happening by ep.17, so I'm hoping we're back on track, but this is still an ongoing watch for me, so final judgment is pending.

The villain SFL was also GREAT. Loved her in TFJ despite that deeply unnecessary and personally offensive killing-off situation, and she absolutely rocked this role too. Give this woman more morally questionable characters immediately.

The ML, however... 💀

This man felt like a third wheel in his own drama between these two women. He was basically a decorative accessory for most of it, and a complicated one at that because WHY WAS HE WEARING THAT WIG???

Bro.

THE WIG.

The filter was working overtime, bless its soul, but there were several sequences where they clearly lost the battle, and the first time I noticed it properly I almost spit out my metaphorical wine. 😭 I have never been so personally distracted by a hairpiece in my life.

And somehow the FL's accomplice had an even more traumatizing wig. I was actually rooting for her to end up with him, only for his real colors to start showing later on. Duh. Shocker. Apparently nobody in this drama can simply exist without eventually revealing themselves to be a walking red flag.

The ML does become more prominent in the second half, but somehow I STILL never really warmed up to him. Man was fighting for screen time, relevance AND wig credibility simultaneously.

Also, I still can't get over the fact that NOBODY RECOGNIZED THE FL because girl, you literally didn't even change your face 😭😭😭 just a different styling and suddenly everyone has amnesia. I’m sorry but WHAT.

But honestly? I am having an absolute blast with the sheer absurdity of this drama. Logic has left the building, scandal and outrage have been turned up to approximately 174%, everyone is making terrible decisions, and I am sitting here with my imaginary wine glass enjoying the carnage.
My only real complaint is the length. Some episodes were watched at 2x speed and I STILL somehow knew exactly what was happening, which tells you everything you need to know. 😂

I still have 5 episodes left, so the final verdict is pending, but so far this has been one deliciously unhinged ride.

Now excuse me while I pour another imaginary glass of wine and investigate that wig situation. 🍷

Leia Mais

For once, a Korean take on school bullying that makes sense.

Second Sister is not a great artistic achievement by any means, but it gets extra points from me for its thoughtful and humane exploration of a theme Korean entertainment is perennially fixated on but so rarely gets right: school bullying.

For the first half of the movie, I thought it would hit all the obligatory story beats of a typical Korean revenge drama; a bullying victim's bereaved family member investigates her past, figures out how her evil classmates tormented her, and torments them back from the shadows, thus restoring a sense of justice and order to other powerless bullying victims who might be watching. The problem with this kind of story is that it doesn't denounce bullying, much less analyse or critique its societal causes, but merely marshals its violence against more deserving victims. The underlying message of so many recent classics of Korean TV and cinema on this topic is that it's okay for good people to do bad things to bad people (who are bad because they do bad things—and if that's too confusing for you, you should stop overthinking and just enjoy the show).

Well, Second Sister doesn't go there. It makes you think it's going to go there, but just as the protagonist, Soeun, is about to carry out her revenge, she has a moment of moral clarity and realizes that her younger sister's bully was a victim too; that her younger sister, Jieun, was a bit of a bully herself; that she should have paid more attention to Jieun's emotional needs while the latter was alive and her thirst for revenge now is a belated attempt to make up for her own shortcomings as her sister's guardian; and that Jieun was immersed in a voyeuristic culture of surveillance and judgment in which teenagers bond and gain status through participation in cyber lynchings, which makes it almost impossible to remain innocent without becoming a victim yourself. As these truth nukes hit Soeun one after another, the movie is no longer just about Jieun; it paints a picture of Korean adolescence in the 21st century, and perhaps of Korean society itself. Most impressively, it calls out the cultural preoccupation with revenge explicitly through the tech-savvy private investigator Jungyeong, who points out to Soeun that she never asked him to help her find out what actually happened to her sister because she was too busy looking for someone on whom to take out her anger.

Again, I love and appreciate this perspective because it is almost entirely absent from the school bullying genre. I believe it's a necessary corrective on the reactionary, even fascistic premises of mindless power fantasies like Teach You a Lesson, Weak Hero, Brave Citizen, etc. (although I enjoyed Weak Hero and Brave Citizen).

BUT... it's just too explicit, man. The movie's position, however smart and correct it may be, is spelled out so directly that the final 30 minutes feel like a lecture from one character (Jungyeong) to another (Soeun). The didactic purpose of the movie ends up taking over the world of the story, which was already feeling bland and unreal to begin with. The tight plotting and editing others have praised leave no room for scene-setting or characterization, so when Jungyeong starts explaining Soeun's own feelings to her in the climactic scene of the movie, it completely destroys any lingering impression I might have had of them as people embedded in a story I'm following and turns them into, like, podcast co-hosts or something.

Jungyeong's character is especially untethered from reality as an all-powerful and all-knowing judge-therapist-hacker moonlighting as a shady thrill-seeking private investigator who is also a rich tech company CEO. This kind of absurd character might work as the protagonist of a 400-episode webtoon about underground MMA fights (or House MD?), but not in a fast-paced 90-minute thriller that doesn't spare even a second to justify his existence. (That said, Kim Mingue and Kang Seoha do as much as they can with what they're given and I would say they even elevate the script a little, which is the mark of an above-average acting performance in my book.)

Overall, this is a mediocre movie in terms of emotional impact and artistry, but it does exactly what it sets out to do and I commend it for its strong and mature moral message.

Leia Mais

Started strong, then lost the plot

This drama started really well. The first 10 episodes had a promising setup—the women-empowerment angle, the challenges and obstacles our FL had to face to establish herself as a court official, and ML as an Emperor trying to take his power back from the Chancellor so he could rule according to his own vision of a prosperous country.

Unfortunately, after those first 10 episodes, the plot took a nosedive into the same tried-and-tested formula. The FL went from being smart and capable to a speech-spouting damsel-in-distress who needs the Emperor to save her almost every other episode. It genuinely feels like she left all her wits back in Shaozou. And somehow, the Emperor can travel all over the place without guards or even shadow guards. And there is so many issues happning in the empire and the only thing the court officials are concerned about is how to get the FL fired, or get the emperor married.

What is working is the acting. Almost all the actors, except the FL, have done a great job with the roles and the material they were given. The costume designer and team have done exceptionally well as well.

Unfortunately, WJY’s portrayal of the FL isn't as impressive. The first 10 episodes were good, but as the story progressed, her performance became repetitive and increasingly self-righteous. There is a thin line between defiance and disrespect, and assertiveness and arrogance". The dialogues convey the intended conflict well, but the performance of the role by the actress doesn't always convey those nuances, making the FL come across as more drama-heroic than genuinely strong, and at times even disrespectful.

It is still an enjoyable watch if you're watching it simply for the drama. For the dramatic impact and a casual watch it can be a 7/10.
For those who were drawn in by the first 10 episodes and expected the same level of intelligent plotting and storytelling, this is likely to be a disappointment.

Leia Mais

wild and loved

The omegaverse is kind of important to the plot, but you do not need to worry about the normal pitfalls. There are no omegas or even betas mentioned. The alphas aren't wolfy or animalistic. it seems to just be a way to explain why one has heightened senses.

The description makes this show seem simple but the plot has many winding turns and surprising twists. I cried twice. Try not to expose yourself to spoilers because this show is an amazing experience when you're hanging on every word to uncover the truth.

It was hard not to fall in love with the characters and their arcs. The actors did a pretty good job, especially our main leads.

The music did nothing good or bad for me. If you told me there was no soundtrack, I probably would believe you since I was so sucked into the story. Gotta go rewatch it right now.

No loose strings. You do not need to watch the second season if you do not want to.
-
(my only true complaint is that it feels like secretly everyone makes the same reveal for an hour mid story)

Leia Mais

I watched this for 3 reasons: 1) Queen Sa DingDing, 2) Queen Tia Ray, and 3) Queen Chen Lijun. But most of them were Queens by the end of the season.

I only watched Call Me By Fire S4 before, so comparing, I think the girls are more determined than the guys. I thought I wouldn't find the same camaraderie as in CMBF4 but I was pleasantly wrong. The girls (women, since they are all older than 30) showed a lovely bond and admiration between them. Take for example the first magnificent group (SDD, CLJ, Chen Haoyu and Liu Yan). They all formed different groups afterwards, but that first group was the most beloved for all 4 of them. SDD and LY formed again later on a duet where they told the other girls how they teased each other. Or you could tell how much CHY admired and looked up to CLJ (she was never too far away from CLJ, and always wanted to collaborate with her). Then there were Laure Zhang and ZhuDan, and Joyce + Han Xue. There were many girls that formed a tight bond with another, and it was very nice to see.

What is nice about this type of reality show is that you can see how someone who is excellent inspires others. And how someone who is mediocre gets better after much determination and perseverance. Like Zhang Yuxi ans ZhuDan, two very mediocre artists who couldn't sing nor dance at the beginning (whenever they sung in the first episodes, it was so embarrassing) but they persisted and both got so much better at the end.

Much admiration for Joyce, the French artist and the only Western artist that persisted till the end ( I wonder if Mai, Sasha Alex Sloan and the Russian girl felt too overwhelmed but the best reason they could give was "health issues"). Joyce (a Queen) sings many songs in Chinese, and as an Ambassador for France, she committed to learning Chinese. And she sings so well (I fell in love with her with that first very song, and the one she sings with HX is on my playlist).

Two things where CMBF4 was better: 1) the first half of this show the performances were MEH.. the songs the show gave to the girls were, 40%, of the "cute" type, and the other 40% of the "slutty" type and only 20% of the good type. We had to wait a bit for the "cool" performances, and even then, the actresses didn't have stages where their skills as an actress were shined. Unlike CMBF4 that had many stages that mixed dance, singing and acting. And 2) CMFB4 had 17 winners, RWTW5 had only 15, and they were:

1) Liu Xin: the rocker who cried a lot XD She is very cool, can sing, dance, arrange, and be an awesome leader. Her voice is great.
2) CLJ: one of the most consistent artists. Everyone wanted her on her team, but her greatest fan was without a doubt, CHY XD Not only she is beautiful but also handsome and amazingly talented in Yue Opera (the representative of this type of Opera). She was the Wang ZhengLiang of this season.
3) Qi Wei: I wouldn't say she was the best at dancing nor at singing, but she was a Winner right from the start. Her personality, her determination. She was the Hacken Lee of the season.
4) CHY: from a somewhat shy actress that was self-taught in musicals to a more confident leader. She was the Azora of this season.
5) He Jie: she could do everything: dance, sing, lead... very extrovert.
6) Tia Ray: who doesn't know her singing skills? And she can dance too! And even if her voice stood out over everyone's, she wasn't overwhelming and knew that it was fair that she shouldn't sing all the high notes.
7) Shang Wen Jie (or Laure Zhang): I knew her from "Super Vocal" as a judge. And she continues to be a good judge here. And mentor. And she could easily speak in Chinese or French or English. Starts as an introvert artist who can't dance... but then she is a very good dancer :)
8) SDD: our weird Queen, she was a bit crazy but so funny. And we see her dance! And she danced very well too. I love her and I am going to miss her.
9) Joyce Jonathan: what more can I say about her? a French Queen.
10) Cai Wen Jing (or Elvira): a very outgoing girl, she could talk! Impossible not to like her specially at the beginning where she "adopted" the two oldest contestants (that were over 50). She can sing and dance, not like WOW but she was good.
11) Liu Yan: the sweetest actress, I am so glad she made it to the end! I was sure she would bc she had been in the top3 once, and bc she was part of that 1st Top Group. She teased SDD and wasn't in awe about anything.
12) Han Xue: a very regal Lady. Sings like a Queen, but can't dance :D Her English is very, very good, and she formed a tight duo with Joyce.

Anyway, I liked all the girls that got it till the final episode. I was sorry for all of them having to wear those super high heels + long dresses + that terrible stair though XD Like it happened after I finished CMBF4, I have withdrawal symptoms, I am going to miss them all <3

Leia Mais

feelings

- đáng lẽ mình đã có thể cho phim 7,5-8 điểm vì nội dung cũng khá ổn. Ngoại trừ diễn xuất hơi đơ. Nhưng mình đã phải đổi ý định khi coi cái kết phim, ban đầu khi coi phim mình cũng đã đặt ra nhiều giả thuyết yêu nhau trong tù thì sau ra ngoài sao yêu nhau tiếp được vì nó là chuyện khá mông lung, mình cũng đã nghĩ tới kết He và cả Se nhưng mình không thể ngờ nó đi theo khuynh hướng kiểu vậy =))), mình cũng thấy ông bác sĩ ích kỉ nữa, nói chung coi xong tập cuối mình đã rất phải ê luôn á

Leia Mais

Our Sticky Love starts a bit Cliché but turns out pretty wholesome

When I started this show, it was definitely giving a cliché, generic vibe. But as the show moved on I was again and again proven wrong.

First of all, Ahn Ha Young is damn gorgeous. Like she definitely has one of the unique faces you're gonna witness in this industry. Her beauty almost distracts you from the story at times.

Also, just got to learn that this is her first lead role as a female, and I can say she knocks it out of the park with her charming personality, perfect for the rom-com energy this drama needed.

She can act. Such a precious smile. But boy, was it hard watching her cry in monumental scenes. I Loved her work in "Teach You a Lesson" and was very eagerly looking forward to this project. And I can attest that the wait was worth it.

Secondly, coming to the male leads. I have loved Jung Hae-In's work in D.P. and Love Next Door. He's got the acting chops and manages to balance the nuances of the character from Gangster to Shy Boyfriend pretty effortlessly.

The bigger but a welcomed surprise was the villain here. Baek Sang-gil is not the usual antagonist provided with a tragic backstory just for the sake of the story, rather his character serves as a good example to the phrase "a product of the environment".

I also find it amusing that his character and Tae-Ha have almost the same line of events yet the path they choose draws a huge contrast between them, even though they are bound together through a cruel twist of fate.

Additional characters were so enjoyable. S.E.S Ladies especially have my heart. And his subordinate who joins the village later was also surprisingly funny. Glad that the doc and nurse made up at the end, haha.

The show never misses on its comedic beats, and always finds a way to deliver humor unexpectedly. The gentle taps on the back, whenever the characters hug are so cute. I have no idea if this was a thing for this show, or if it's a K-Drama thing, but I love it.

After the 10th episode, I was unsure of the ending and felt this might become another case of dragging the story which usually happens in various K-Dramas. Because by that episode, the story had reached a perfect closure.

But to my surprise the last two episodes were not just an extension of romantic leads having cute moments. Rather the story of the villain was simply not finished, and as we found out in the finale, he had a lot of baggage.

The show manages to wrap up the story in 12 episodes even with a deserved wedding scene by the end.

Tae-Ha doesn't hate rains now, as they don't remind him of his sorrowful days anymore rather he embraces it prioritizing his happiness for the first time.

Eun-Sae has a family now and no longer wishes for materialistic things to bring her happiness.

Wholesome ending. Long live the people of Taffy village.

Leia Mais

Sotto un palazzo c'è un "cane" pazzo...

Trattasi di un sageuk fantasy-horror soprannaturale, un drama a sfondo storico ambientato nella Corea Joseon che combina folklore, sciamanesimo, fantasmi, mistero e politica di corte. La trama ruota attorno a un cacciatore di spiriti e a una dama di corte capace di percepire i morti, coinvolti dal re in un'indagine all'interno del palazzo, dove i principi continuano a morire in circostanze misteriose.
Sulla carta, gli ingredienti per una grande serie ci sono tutti: il palazzo diventa uno spazio malato, nel quale i rituali non rappresentano soltanto una pratica religiosa, ma anche uno strumento di potere; il rapporto fra vivi e morti diventa la metafora di traumi dinastici mai risolti; lo sciamanesimo coreano viene utilizzato come mezzo per ristabilire un equilibrio spezzato, emerge il tema della colpa ereditaria, secondo cui i peccati commessi dalla corte finiscono per ricadere sulle generazioni successive, un motivo che appartiene a una tradizione simbolica molto più ampia e che troviamo, con declinazioni differenti, anche nell'ebraismo e nell'induismo.
È curioso che appena due serie fa abbia terminato un drama caratterizzato da una buona scrittura ma da una produzione audiovisiva assolutamente anonima; The East Palace ne rappresenta quasi l'opposto speculare. Vi troviamo una fortissima identità, sostenuta da sperimentazioni registiche che in alcuni momenti raggiungono un livello quasi cinematografico, mentre la scrittura è debole, troppo debole rispetto alle ambizioni formali, finendo per risultare quasi anonima. È un paradosso che, a mio avviso, ricorre non di rado nelle serie asiatiche: si concentra in maniera straordinaria l'attenzione su un determinato aspetto dell'opera, finendo però per trascurarne altri che avrebbero avuto bisogno della stessa cura.
La consiglierei soprattutto a chi ama le serie ricche di folklore e di suggestioni soprannaturali. Il potenziale, infatti, è enorme, ma non sempre viene trasformato in sostanza: la mitologia è affascinante, mentre la scrittura è poco originale e spesso eccessivamente arzigogolata, quasi cercasse attraverso la complessità apparente di superare una semplicità narrativa sostanziale. Le spiegazioni, inoltre, tendono a essere troppo numerose ed esplicite, invece di lasciare che il mistero si alimenti da solo e cresca attraverso ciò che lo spettatore non sa ancora. Personalmente ho apprezzato soprattutto l'estetica, la fotografia e l'atmosfera, molto più del lato emotivo (che ahimé mi ha preso poco).

ASPETTI TECNICI (no IA):
Adoro soffermarmi sugli aspetti scenografici, registici e fotografici, ma raramente mi è capitato di avere così tanto da dire a questo proposito, perché è una serie in cui ho percepito e compreso quasi ogni singola scelta visiva e, soprattutto, una serie in cui la ricerca formale ha rappresentato una parte consistente del piacere della visione. Vedere qualcosa di così dinamico, costruito con un'impronta filmica tanto precisa e riconoscibile, non è comune nel panorama delle serie asiatiche; per quanto mi riguarda, non mi viene in mente nessun drama cinese finora visto che raggiunga un livello di elaborazione registica paragonabile.
Il color grading è particolarmente riuscito, sebbene riprenda e rielabori soluzioni già viste in alcune produzioni molto curate degli ultimi anni, come Pa2myo" e "Dear Hongrang", che ho recensito a sua volta. La palette dominata dal rosso cremisi, dal nero e dai toni seppia richiama il sangue e il sacrificio, il mondo degli spiriti e, soprattutto, la memoria di un passato che continua a contaminare il presente. In TEP il rosso viene associato con frequenza ai rituali, alle presenze soprannaturali e agli spazi nei quali il confine fra vivi e morti sembra assottigliarsi, diventando quindi non soltanto una scelta cromatica, ma un elemento narrativo vero e proprio.
Anche alcuni primi piani mostrano una chiara affinità con determinati linguaggi dell'animazione e dell'horror giapponese: penso a produzioni come Hell Girl, Inuyasha e Demon Slayer, ma persino ad alcune tavole di autori come CLAMP, pur senza parlare di una citazione diretta. Il volto quasi immobile di Gu Cheon quando si prepara ad affrontare uno spirito, gli occhi ripresi in controluce, le ciocche di capelli che coprono parzialmente lo sguardo e la macchina da presa portata molto vicino al volto appartengono a un immaginario immediatamente riconoscibile. Non direi quindi che la serie “citi gli anime” in senso stretto: piuttosto, attinge a un repertorio estetico che cinema, animazione e fumetto giapponesi hanno contribuito a codificare.
Questa estetica, del resto, possiede una genealogia piuttosto lunga. Il cinema giapponese, soprattutto attraverso l'horror e il fantastico di opere come Kwaidan e Onmyoji, ha contribuito a codificare l'uso di figure immobili, capelli che ricadono sul volto, colori saturi e composizioni fortemente pittoriche. A partire dagli anni Novanta, gli anime hanno trasformato molti di questi codici in un linguaggio visivo autonomamente riconoscibile, fatto di primi piani estremi, occhi che diventano strumenti narrativi e capelli utilizzati persino per nascondere o suggerire le emozioni. Il cinema coreano contemporaneo ha poi assorbito e raffinato questi linguaggi attraverso una fotografia estremamente curata, e Dear Hongran e questo, rappresentano due esempi recenti di questa contaminazione.
Anche la componente musicale contribuisce a spostare la serie fuori da una percezione puramente storica. I filtri seppia e alcune musiche quasi jazzate che accompagnano la conclusione di alcuni episodi richiamano il cinema di Sergio Leone, soprattutto per quei toni caldi, polverosi e sospesi, mentre l'uso di musiche anacronistiche ricorda in parte la sensibilità di Tarantino, che utilizza spesso brani estranei all'epoca rappresentata per produrre straniamento dato dalla contaminazione. Il risultato è una scelta sorprendentemente moderna, che impedisce allo spettatore di percepire la Joseon soltanto come un'ambientazione storica ma la trasforma bensì in una Joseon mitologica, sospesa fuori dal tempo.
La regia cerca quindi di costruire un'identità visiva molto forte attraverso la sovrapposizione di riferimenti diversi: folklore coreano, horror giapponese, estetica da anime, suggestioni western e musica contemporanea. È un'operazione interessante e, sul piano formale, estremamente consapevole; il problema è che, quando la storia non possiede la stessa forza, il rischio è che lo spettatore finisca per percepire soprattutto il collage delle influenze invece di essere completamente trascinato dentro il mondo narrativo.
La cosa che ho apprezzato maggiormente è che le tecniche contemporanee utilizzate dalla regia non sembrano essere inserite per puro sfoggio ma associate a una precisa funzione narrativa, e questo le distingue da quelle sperimentazioni prive di reale necessità che, per esempio, avevo criticato in Fated Hearts.
Per esempio, il Dutch angle (o piano olandese), con l'orizzonte inclinato, viene utilizzato per suggerire che qualcosa nell'ordine del mondo si è incrinato: instabilità, possessione, perdita dell'equilibrio, sovvertimento. All'interno di una storia costruita intorno a fantasmi e rituali, è una soluzione particolarmente efficace perché traduce visivamente una realtà che ha smesso di essere stabile.
È inoltre frequente il montaggio per associazione: un primo piano mostra un oggetto, l'oggetto viene alterato — si rompe, si sporca, viene capovolto — e il taglio conduce immediatamente a un'altra scena. È un tipo di montaggio quasi intellettuale, molto più vicino a determinate soluzioni del cinema d'autore che alla televisione classica, perché stabilisce un rapporto concettuale fra immagini che non appartengono necessariamente alla stessa situazione narrativa.
Anche i duelli vengono costruiti attraverso un montaggio sincopato, rallentamenti e freeze frame che interrompono il movimento per isolare determinati istanti. L'obiettivo non è rappresentare il combattimento in maniera realistica ma trasformare alcuni momenti in immagini iconiche, quasi fossero tavole di un manga o vignette di un fumetto, il movimento viene quindi scomposto per dare maggiore forza proprio ai fotogrammi che la regia considera significativi.

SPIRITI E SILHOUETTE
Le forme degli spiriti sono generalmente molto riconoscibili, anche se spesso sembrano attingere a un immaginario più occidentale e soprattutto legato ai videogiochi contemporanei che al folklore coreano tradizionale. Fa eccezione il Primordial Gwi-mae, il Gwi-mae primordiale, che occupa una posizione particolare all'interno dell'universo soprannaturale della serie. Non si tratta di un fantasma umano e non corrisponde, nella sua forma specifica, a una precisa creatura del folklore coreano. Il concetto di gwi-mae viene invece rielaborato dalla serie a partire dalla tradizione folklorica coreana: si tratta di un'entità generata dall'accumulo di energia negativa e, diversamente dal gwi-shin, non è l'anima di una persona morta.
Il regista Choi Jung-kyu ha spiegato un aspetto particolarmente interessante della sua concezione: al di sotto di tutti gli strati di fantasmi e gwi presenti nella serie doveva esistere un'entità primordiale, quasi una radice della negatività. Il Primordial Gwi-mae rappresenta quindi la radice dei desideri e dell'oscurità umana e proprio per questo viene collocato sotto il palazzo, un luogo dominato da desiderio, ambizione e lotta per il potere. È un collegamento simbolico particolarmente efficace e, non a caso, è anche alla base del titolo provocatorio che ho scelto per questa recensione.
Non mi sono piaciuti tutti gli spiriti, alcuni mi hanno ricordato come silhouette di one piece, tekken ed il vecchio vestito di bianco , richiamato dallo sciamano, sembra quasi un monaco eremita con il volto di un pirata di una casa stregata, l'ho trovato di bassa qualità rispetto a tutto il resto.

ATTENZIONE!!!
Un'altra somiglianza visiva che mi ha colpita riguarda il mondo dei videogiochi. L'universo delle creature di TEP richiama curiosamente quello di Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, videogioco dark fantasy cinese ambientato nella dinastia Han, contaminata da presenze demoniache. In entrambi i casi troviamo la contaminazione fra un'ambientazione storica orientale molto concreta e un dark fantasy popolato da creature deformate e materiche, oltre al contrasto fra la precisione del mondo reale e l'irruzione di esseri che sembrano provenire da un'altra dimensione.
Nel drama, inoltre, il palazzo viene presentato quasi come un luogo capace di generare letteralmente le proprie creature attraverso avidità, corruzione, rancore e desiderio, mentre Wo Long trasforma a sua volta la storia cinese in un universo contaminato dal qi e dai demoni.

SCRITTURA
La scrittura, al contrario, si fonda su un'idea sorprendentemente semplice: il colpevole appartiene sempre all'interno della stessa "specie". La complessità non nasce quindi da dinamiche realmente profonde o da una rete di cause particolarmente articolata, ma dal continuo spostamento del sospetto da un personaggio all'altro. Il meccanismo narrativo non si concentra tanto sulla domanda cosa stia accadendo, quanto su 'chi' ne sia responsabile: il re, la regina, la consorte, l'altra regina, il principe ereditario o uno spirito. È un mistero fondato più sull'identità del colpevole che sulle cause profonde degli eventi, e la serie riesce a dilatare questa premessa semplice attraverso una regia molto più sofisticata della scrittura che la sostiene. In sostanza, non costruisce una trama realmente complessa, ma rende complessa un'idea semplice attraverso il continuo spostamento del sospetto; il risultato è un gioco di identificazione del colpevole più che una vera stratificazione narrativa. Molte spiegazioni inoltre non sono plausibili.

INTERPRETAZIONI
Quasi ottime anche le interpretazioni, con due prove nettamente superiori alle altre. La regina madre, interpretata da un'attrice sulla cinquantina già apparsa, tra gli altri, in Like Flowers in Sand* e Our Unwritten Seoul, costruisce una donna fisicamente sofferente, segnata da possibili ischemie, con la bocca storta e una postura che restituisce perfettamente anche le sue caratteristiche interiori: arcigna, rigida, sprezzante, acida, ormai quasi inviperita. È una prova estremamente fisica, nella quale il corpo diventa un'estensione del carattere e rende visibile ciò che il personaggio porta dentro di sé. Per questo le assegno un 10: provate voi a interpretare in maniera credibile una paziente con ischemia ed emiparalisi facciale, senza trasformare la caratterizzazione in una semplice caricatura.
Ottimi i costumi, gli strumenti e gli oggetti dell'epoca (pipe, parrucche, strumenti musicali), storicamente la serie mi è sembrata attendibile e curata.

10 anche al re. Sono soprattutto loro due a tenere banco , lui è un personaggio che comunica moltissimo attraverso il controllo della voce: modulazione, pause, volume e minime variazioni dell'intonazione diventano strumenti espressivi veri e propri. È una recitazione trattenuta ma potentissima, capace di suggerire tensioni, paura, autorità e conflitti senza la necessità di esplicitarli.
Molto buona anche l'interpretazione dello sciamano, mentre è ottima quella di Nam Joo-hyuk, che riesce a dare al personaggio una presenza solida senza eccedere. Bene anche la protagonista, al suo primo ruolo in un sageuk: la dizione è ancora da migliorare, ma la recitazione appare abbastanza naturale. Rimane tuttavia una certa contrazione espressiva che, paradossalmente, finisce per sposarsi bene sia con il periodo storico sia con il carattere del personaggio, contribuendo a renderla credibile pur senza darle quella presenza scenica dominante che hanno interpreti più esperti.

CONCLUSIONE
Non è una serie per tutti: piacerà soprattutto a chi ama gli effetti speciali, il folklore soprannaturale e un certo immaginario vicino all'horror degli anime. Non aspettatevi una serie come Kingdom, dove il genere diventa anche uno strumento per costruire un discorso politico feroce, né un fantasy come Alchemy of Souls, nel quale sono soprattutto i personaggi e i loro legami emotivi a costituire il motore della storia. The East Palace punta piuttosto su un horror folkloristico elegante, costruito attraverso simboli, ritualità, atmosfera e una ricerca audiovisiva decisamente ambiziosa, più che su una grande costruzione psicologica dei personaggi.
Ho apprezzato anche il fatto che non abbiano inserito a forza una storia d'amore. Innanzitutto perché i due attori, insieme, non “ballano” e non producono quella chimica che avrebbe reso credibile un'evoluzione sentimentale; inoltre, in una serie così breve, un romance sviluppato a tutti i costi avrebbe spostato il focus e avrebbe richiesto uno spazio narrativo che non sarebbe stato facile ricavare senza compromettere il resto. La scelta di lasciare il loro rapporto sul piano del legame costruito attraverso l'esperienza condivisa mi sembra quindi più coerente con l'impianto complessivo.
Non è possibile dare a The East Palace un voto inferiore all'8. Non si può assegnare un 10 a una serie soltanto perché possiede una buona scrittura, così come non si può ignorare una scrittura semplice quando tutto il resto dell'opera dimostra una ricerca tanto evidente.
Interpretazioni magistrali, una notevole ricerca visiva e sonora e una resa cinematografica decisamente superiore alla media riescono a compensare la semplicità della struttura narrativa, rendendo l'opera riconoscibile e connotandola di una forte personalità.
Se volete approfondire i rituali e il loro significato, vi allego questo articolo (linkabile nei commenti).

https://mydrama.altervista.org/tradition-tells/the-east-palace-quando-il-neoconfucianesimo-di-joseon/

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“The Unexpected Drama I Didn’t Know I’d Love” ❤️

A Hidden Gem That Deserves More Love ⭐️

I honestly don’t understand why this drama received such low ratings. For me, the story was perfect. I loved how it combined thriller, romance, comedy, and drama so well. The unexpected plot twists and even the unexpected cameos made it even more fun to watch!

I finished this drama in just 2 days while crocheting!🙂‍↔️
There were so many scenes that were so interesting that I literally had to stop crocheting just to watch because I needed to know what would happen next. That’s how hooked I was!

I also loved the three ajummas! They were hilarious and brought so much charm to the story. And honestly, the casting was perfect. Everyone fit their characters so well.

I’ve also seen some people say that 12 episodes felt too long, but honestly, 12 episodes were perfect for me. There wasn’t a single episode where I felt bored or thought the story was dragging. In some dramas, there are boring scenes where I end up skipping ahead, but with this one, I didn’t skip a single scene. Every episode kept me interested.

I’m actually glad I didn’t see the low ratings and reviews before watching it, because if I had, I probably would have doubted whether I should watch it at all. And that would have been such a shame because I ended up really loving this drama. 🥹❤️

Definitely a 10/10 for me!

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A Love Triangle Done Right. (Why Did You Ruin the Last Episode?)

I went into Roller Coaster with fairly low expectations after the last few GLs I watched hadn't really impressed me. I ended up being pleasantly surprised. This was genuinely good.

What I liked most was the relationship writing. The love triangle actually made sense, and the characters' choices felt understandable rather than being created just to manufacture drama. The relationships felt mature and, importantly, realistic. I could actually imagine real people reacting and making decisions in similar situations. The characters' actions also had consequences, which made the story much more satisfying to watch.

I liked how much history was given to Pure and Air through the flashbacks. It made their past relationship feel real and helped explain why Pure held on for so long. At the same time, Pure's eventual relationship with Loft made sense to me. Loft gave Pure the happiness and security she had been missing, and I really liked Loft as a character. She was probably my favorite part of the drama.

The chemistry between Pure and Loft was also very good. Their relationship felt natural, and the intimate scenes were handled particularly well. I appreciated the attention to safe intimacy and realistic details, too. The inclusion of a dental dam was a nice touch, and it's something I don't often see acknowledged in GL dramas.

The production was another strong point. The drama looked polished, the wardrobe was great, and the direction had some really nice touches.

The acting was good overall. All thee main lead's acting was good, I especially enjoyed Shelly's performance as Loft. Some of the emotional scenes worked better for me than others, particularly the more restrained crying scenes.

My main problem was the last episode. I actually thought the story was developing well enough that I didn't feel it needed additional episodes, but the final episode changed my mind. The conflict felt somewhat forced, and the resolution was rushed. After everything that happened, the time skip and reunion felt a little too convenient and didn't give the emotional resolution as much weight as it could have. The finale fumbled what was otherwise a really good drama.

Despite that, Roller Coaster was one of the few recent Thai GLs that made me genuinely think, "Wow, this is actually really good." It had believable relationships, strong chemistry, good production, and characters whose actions had consequences.

I would have given it 8.5/10 if the final episode had been handled better.

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I really don't get how people say the writing was good, especially toward the end.

What was the point of poisoning Li Le Jun, besides making it so that when Wuyi kills her, it doesn't feel as bad because she was going to die anyway? It seemed like the only reason was to make it easier for Li Mao to forgive him later.

And since when was Xie Jia Yu okay with using her weapon to kill people from the Beifu Army and even Xiao family?

What happened to Xie Jia Yu's secret guard?

And let's not even talk about the mysterious healer, whose identity we were never told, or the name of the person Li Mao saved. And then he made a promise to save three people. Quite convenient, isn't it?

The writing really falls off in the last four episodes. Personally, I never thought it was a masterpiece, but it was a good watch. However, the writing in the last four episodes was really disappointing

1-24 - 8.5
24-28 - 6

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du louuuuuuuuurd !!!!

Si vous cherchez un drama qui envoie du lourd, ne cherchez plus : « Agent Kim Reactivated » est un pur, un absolu BANGEEEEEER d’action, d’humour et de suspense qui m’a totalement scotché ét C’e dès le premier épisode !

L’intrigue est implacable : un père célibataire et banquier, en apparence terne et bien innofensif, voit sa fille kidnappée pour une sale histoire harcèlement entre filles à l’école. on découvre alors que le gentil papa innofensif n’est pas vraiment aussi innofensif qu’il veut le faire croire ét c’est alors qu’il va alors réactiver ses talents … d’ex-agent secret nord-coréen, il etzit le légendaire Agent 66, et va tout mette en place pour la sauver . Le rythme est parfait : on passe de scènes d’action jouissives à un humour décalé, notamment grâce au trio incroyable So Ji-sub et ses deux acolytes, Choi Dae-hoon et Yoon Kyung-ho. Leur complicité, faite de répliques cinglantes et de combats déchaînés, est un pur régal .

Le suspense est haletant, et le méchant principal, interprété par Joo Sang-uk, est un antagoniste détestable à souhait . Mais ce qui m’a vraiment marqué, c’est l’intensité des émotions : derrière les poings de Kim, c’est un papa prêt à tout pour sauver sa fille ét pret à faire timber un système corrompu . Un pur divertissement qui vous rappellera un peu TAKEN ou encore le COMMANDO des années 80 avec Schwarzenegger !-) foncez

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